The present invention relates to the field of making glass coiled tubes. Glass coiled tubes can be used for a variety of purposes. The present invention is particularly suitable for making glass coiled tubes that can be used not only for a variety of purposes, but are themselves unique decorative glass beads, or can be cut and finished to make unique decorative glass beads. Glass coils, particular those for making beads, are generally wound on a mandrel by hand, one at a time. This is a slow process that requires a slow rate of turning of the mandrel, allows for only one bead at a time to be created, and requires a considerable degree of advanced skill to achieve any degree of acceptable uniformity. Consequently the process is slow, tedious and adapted more for only the most skilled of glass artists.
Another method used is the drawn method where basically the glass is melted, a bubble is blown, and the bubble is then drawn into an elongated tube at the desired length, which tube is then cut into smaller portions to create beads.
Gartner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,545,271, discloses a glass coiling apparatus with a cooling mechanism and a complicated arrangement of moving parts, all for the purpose of creating glass helices having separated glass coils. Gartner in fact teaches to separate the glass coils, just the opposite of what the present invention is designed primarily to do, i.e. to create an elongated continuously fused substantially uniform glass coil tube. Gartner is not only complicated, but also creates the tube in an entirely different manner by moving the glass helix along with an independent wheel directly contacting the surface of the glass from the side.
Wellech, U.S. Pat. No. 2,296,321, likewise discloses a complicated apparatus with numerous moving parts. Like Gartner, it teaches to separate the coils and has an independent wheel to move the helix and at the same time to draw the glass from the molten glass source. Both Gartner and Wellech, although on the face creating glass tubes, do so in an opposite manner from the present invention, with a complicated machine of moving parts.
The present invention, while requiring some degree of skill to create the desired glass bead, provides an apparatus and method for creating elongated glass coiled tubes at a speed of 700 to 800 rpm in the preferred mode. These glass tubes can, if kept short, be the beads themselves or can be cut into, as the process describes, smaller glass beads. Moreover, it does not require blowing a bubble to do so. It allows for creation of unique designs of glass coiled tubes and beads at a faster pace; further allows for a process that provides operator control over formation of the beads and their appearance, but at a relatively fast pace; it further provides a method and apparatus for creating tubes of glass and/or beads of relative uniformity with the ability to substantially recreate the same design, and to do so at a relatively fast pace. Moreover, although it allows for relative uniformity in the creation of the coils and beads, some slight variation is allowed which renders the beads and coils uniquely adapted for artistic purposes. It also provides a glass tube, coil, or bead, where it is desired to have the individual glass coils as visible elements of the end product. It is still the further object of the invention to create such an apparatus that is inexpensive to build and to create such a process that is relatively easy to learn and master so as to allow for mass production of substantially hand crafted coils and beads. It is thus the further object of the invention to create a simple process and apparatus that alleviates the need for cooling apparatus and minimizes the need for moving parts. Consequently it will be seen that these objectives are met with the present invention as described herein.
Other objects and features of the invention and the manner in which the invention achieves its purpose will be appreciated from the foregoing and the following description and the accompanying drawings which exemplify the invention, it being understood that changes may be made in the specific method and apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the essentials of the invention set forth in the appended claims.